Speed-regulator for music-boxes



(No Model.)

B. SUEUR.

' SPEED REGULATOR FOR MUSIC BOXES.

N0. 360,396. W Patented Mar. 29, 1887. l

NITED STATES EDVVARDfiUEUR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPEED-REGULATOR l-OR MUSIC-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,396, dated March 29, 1887.

Application filed December 28, 1886; Serial No. 222,763. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SUEUR, a citi-' .in Speed Regulators or Governors for Music-v Boxes, of which the followingis aspecilication.

Prior to my invention it has been customary to provide fly-regulators for controlling the rate of speed in music-boxes. The. fans or wings of the fly in such case are usuallyniade adjustable, so as to vary their angle of impact upon the air, thus increasing or diminishing the resistance to a given surface of wing and modifying the speed. It has, however, been proposed to'automaticall y increase or decrease the area of surface presented by the fans or wings by providing the fly with pivoted weighted arms having flat surfaces, which, upon a high rate ofspeed, may be swung out in a manner to constitute in effect end extensions of the fans or wings. The manual adjustment ofthewings at difierent angles requires the exercise of skill, which, after the instrument has passed, into-the hands of a purchaser, is not always available. On the otherhand, a variation on the surface presented by the fans or wings, accomplished either automatically or otherwise, while serving to some extent to modify the speed, has a limited utility, since.

an excessive speed cannot be checked by the mere change of surface presented by the fans.

It has also been proposed to employ in connection with organs of that class known as mechanical or selfiplaying instruments a chronometric governor, to set the motor to any named time for music or to change from one indicated time to another while the music is being performed, the device in such instance to consist of a pair of governor-arms pivoted to a spindle, and so arranged that when thrown apart they may raise a slide disposed to move up and down in the snpporting-fran1e of the governor, and limited in its up movement at any desired point by a cam-lever, the cam constituting a stop or abutment that will determine the extent to which the slide can rise, according to the position of the cam. Such device, however, is not desirable in connection with the more delicately organized and less powerfully operating mechanism of a musicbox, since the application of the brake is too sudden and positive in its nature, and hence its use might tend rather to create irregularities of speed than to promote steadiness and 5 5 uniformity of motion.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatically-adj ustable speed regulator or governor for a music-box whereby the objectionable features in music boxes hercinbefore 6o referred to shall be avoided, and to further provide certain novel and improved details of construction in a speed regulator or governor for a music-box, as will hereinafterapp'ear.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other 6 5 useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. v

In carrying out the principles of my invention I provide a speed regulator or governor which is connected with and driven from the cylinder-or, what is the same thing, the cylinder-shaft-in a music box, through the me dium of suitable gearing. This speed regulator or governor is provided with a pair of pivoted weighted arms, which are arranged to revolve around the axis of the speed-regulator or governor similar to the arms of an ordinary governor for anengine. In connection with these weighted arms I provide a friction So device which will operate in the nature of an automatic brake when,by reason of a too-rapid rotation on the part of the cylinder, the gov ernor-arms are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, in which way the speed will be re duced to its proper standard; and in order to prevent too sudden or positive application of the friction device against a stop or stationary abutment, and to render the action of the friction device sufficiently delicate, I provide between the governor-arms and the friction de- ;vice.a spring or elastic cushion,through which the governor-arms can intermediately act on the friction device, whereby the brake or frict-ion device will be caused to act against the stationary abutment with a yielding pressure, which,however, increasesproportionally to the rate of speed, so thatshould the speed attain an excessively-high rate the brake action will then become positive in its nature. improved details will be hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a top Further ICO plan view of a portion of a music-box, the speed-regulator being partially illustrated by a sectional plan taken on the line 00 00 of Fi 2. Fig. Zrepresents in part a transverse vertical section mainly taken on the line y y, Fig. 1, the speed regulator or governor being, however, shown partly in elevation and partly in section. In said figure the dotted lines repre sent the condition of the speed regulator or governor when the weighted arms are by reason of an increase in speed thrown outwardly fronitheir. position shown in full lines. Fig. 3 represents in elevation a form of brake or friction device constructed upon the principle ofthe one shown in Fig. 2, but differing slightly in detail. r The speed regulator or governor is constructed with a pair of weighted rods or arms, A and A, which are pivotally connected at their inner or lower ends witha vertical spindle, B, and normally held proximately parallel with or but slightly diverging from the vertical axis,about which they may be caused to revolve by rotation on the part of the spindle. In order to pivotally connect the weighted arms with the rotary spindle the latter is provided with a crosspiece, b, to the opposite side of which the weighted arms are, respectively, attached by pivots D and D. weighted arm is at its inner pivoted end provided with a laterally-extending finger, so that each of said arms is, in effect, a bent weighted lever pivoted at its bend. The finger or lower lateral extension, a, of the pivoted arm or lever A is arranged at one side of the cross-piece I), while the corresponding finger or lower lateral extension, at, of the pivoted arm or lever A is arrangedat the opposite side of said cross-piece. Both of these said parts or fingers, a and a, are employed for applying power to the brake or friction device, and to such end they are arranged to bear upwardly against the under side of a collar, E, that. is fitted loosely upon the spindle B, the said collar being, if desired, provided with a washer, 6, against which the fingers a and a can directly impinge. v 4

The disposition of the weighted pivoted arms to swing outwardly during rotation of the spindle tends to lift the sliding collar E against a spring, 0, which is arranged intermediate of the lower collar, E, and an upper collar, E. This collar E constitutes the main or acting portion of the brake or friction device, and is likewise loosely arranged upon the spindle, so as to slide up and down thereon. Desirably the lower collar, E, has an upwardly-projecting sleeve or tubular neck, 0, through which the spindle passes, while the upper collar, E, is provided with a similar but downwardly-projecting sleeve or tubular neck, 6, through which the spindle also passes. The coiled spring 0 encircles these two sleeves or tubular extensions and abuts atits ends against the disks or collars E and E. The said sleeves or tubular extensions 0 and e are connected together by a sliding joint, which, while caus Each ing them to rotate together, permits them to have independent end movements. Des1ra bly, however, said joint permits a limited rotary play of one sleeve independently of the other, for a purpose hereinafter described.

Thesliding joint between the two sleeves can be made in different ways-as, for example, as indicated in Fig. 2, wherein the end.

portions'of the sleeves are partially cut away to substantially form half -tubes, which can interlock with one another, or, as in F g. 3, wherein one sleeve enters the other, with a stud upon the former arrangedto enter a slot in the latter. By such means thetwo collars with'their interlocking sleeves form an extensible hub or sleeve provided with end disks 'or collars and carrying aspring,which is held between the end collars, the whole constituting a spring-brake or spring-brake cushion. The upper collar, E, which is practically the upper end of the extensible sleeve, is desirably provided with a washer, c and arranged in juxtaposition to the bearing F, in which the upper end of the spindle B turns.

Should, during operation, the mechanism of the music-box run at too high rate of speed, the weighted arms will by centrifugal action swing out from the center of revolution,thereby serving to lift the lower collar, E, which lat- .ter will in turn press upwardly-against the spring and cause the same to forcethe upper collar, E, or the washer on said collar, against the bearing E with a force proportional to the outward movement of the weighted arms. The frictional contact between the brake or.fr iction device and the bearingF will necessarily cause a moderation in the rate of speed, the pressure being decreased or relieved as soon as the mechanism runs at the proper rate of speed. against the bearing F with a yielding pressure, which varies with the rate of speed at which the speed regulator or governor is revolved from the mechanism of the music-box, it being observed that the said brake can be arranged to bear either very lightly or exert no appreciable pressure against the bearing]? when the apparatus is running at a uniform and proper rate of speed.

Preferably I provide the spindle of the speed regulator or governor with a small cog or gear wheel, G, which is engaged by and driven from a crown or other suitable gcar-wheel,H,thereby providing a more durable construction than is The brake or friction device presses commonly attained by the employment of a As herein 1 0- The connecting mechgages to stop the wheel at thevproper moment,

as will be readily understood-by those familiar with music-boxes without special illustration.

This latch can also be utilized for arresting the governor or speed-regulator as soon as thelatch has locked the wheel M. Thus,when the latch is in position to lock the wheel M, one of its ends will be brought opposite thccrosspiece b of-the speed-regulator, as in Fig. 1, while on the other hand, when the latchis in position to permit wheel M to run the aforesaid end of the latch will have been brought below the field of action of the cross-piece b, as in Fig.2. It will be observed in Fig. 3- that the slot 6 in one sleeve is somewhat wider than the diameter of the pin 6 on the other sleeve, whereby one sleeve may be susceptible of a limited rotary play independent of the other. In locking the sleeves together, as in.Fig. 2, a like latitude of independent rotary play between the sleeves should be provided for, in which way a too sudden positive application of the brake is avoided and the parts rendered less liable to damage.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, with the cylinder in a through the medium of the spring and the condition of the said arms determined by the velocity with which they are revolved, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the cylinder of a music-box, of the arms A and A, pivotally connected with a rotary support, the acting portion E of the friction device or brake, and a spring placed in a connection between said friction device and the pivoted arms, substantially as described. I

3. In a music-box, the arms A and A, pivot ally connected with a rotary spindle, in combination with the two-part sleeve provided with end collars, E and E, and the spring interposed between said collars, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the cylinder in a musie'box, of the rotary spindle B, driven from the axle or journal of said cylinder, the collars E and E, having sleeves e and e and loosely fitted upon said spindle, the spring applied between the two collars, and the bearing F, in which the upper end'ofthe spindle is'arranged to turn, substantially as described.

EDWARD SUEUR.

lVit-nesses:

CHAS. G. PAGE, L. S. LOGAN. 

